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Children who are unable to speak in situations where talking is expected or necessary, to the extent that their refusal interferes with school and making friends, may suffer from selective mutism (SM). As the Selective Mutism Association (SMA) notes SM is best understood as a childhood anxiety disorder characterized by a child or adolescent’s inability to speak in one or more social settings (e.g., at school, in public places, with adults) despite being able to speak comfortably in other settings (e.g., at home with family).

Although people with phobias realize that their fear is irrational, even thinking about it can often cause extreme anxiety.